Page 36 of Married to the Ruthless Duke

Helen stood in the foyer of the castle feeling quite… abandoned.

The butler gave a discreet cough to get her attention, and she realized that she was standing in the middle of the foyer, looking at the door Alexander had disappeared through like a lost puppy.

“Your Grace, may I show you to your suite?”

“Yes, I would like that, but first, I would prefer to have a tour of the castle. If you could let Mrs. Adams know, I would be most grateful.”

“Right away, Your Grace,” he said, pivoting on his heel.

He marched back towards the entrance, most likely with the intention of fetching Mrs. Adams.

Helen might have retired upstairs, but she was filled with nervous energy, and sitting alone in her room was only going to drive her nuts, hence her decision to take the tour.

In a few minutes, she heard the sounds of footsteps and turned to see the housekeeper approaching.

“You sent for me, Your Grace?” she asked when she reached Helen.

“I decided to take the tour of the house. Perhaps you could act as my guide?” Helen requested, with a smile.

“Of course, Your Grace,” Mrs. Adams replied.

And thus, Helen spent the next two hours getting acquainted with every corner of the castle. When they finished, Mrs. Adams ordered for a bath to be drawn for Helen. Helen returned to her room and found her maid had arrived with her belongings, having followed in a cart at a slower pace behind the Duke’s carriage.

Soon, they set about the task of bathing Helen and brushing her hair till it gleamed in the candlelight. Her maid helped her dress in the very sheer garment that was provided for her as a wedding nightie, and Helen blushed fiercely while donning it. The garment hid nothing, and if she stood in front of a candle, every curve and crevice of her body would be exposed.

Helen donned the matching robe, but it did very little to improve the modesty of the garment, since it was made of the same material.

She gave up and sat on one of the chairs before the fireplace. She decided to read a book while waiting for her husband to come. Dinner arrived, and she tried to wait for him, but the food was getting colder, and her stomach was grumbling, so she gave up and ate.

Several hours later, there was still no sign of the Duke, and she was finding it difficult to stay awake. It seemed the Duke had gotten married to his trophy wife and now proceeded to ignore her.

She took the time to think back on all the events leading to that moment. She wondered what would have happened if her mother were alive. She did not really remember her mother, but she had always thought her father was trying more than enough to care for her and her sister, and that was enough for her. But she grew up thinking she should do something for her father in return, and that was to grow up to be the ideal lady.

So, she tried to excel at everything. And she did. That did not exclude her social life, which she greatly valued. She was a socialite and thrived in the ton. She knew many people and all the latest gossip. She was widely loved, and that led her to feel undefeated. The only thing she worried about was her sister, who had closed off herself. This has made their father worry and compare the two sisters constantly. So, Helen vowed to never marry before her sister, yet here she was.Now, she had gotten herself a match that she wasn’t sure how to feel about yet.

She sighed, as one who hated to cry over spilled milk, and was about to retire to her bed when she heard a knock at the door to her chambers. Well, it seemed the Duke had decided to grace her with his presence.

She walked to the door and opened it to see the Duke standing there, and he smiled widely at her. It appeared the Duke was excited about something. He had a bottle of wine and two wine glasses in his hand.

“Celebrating?” she asked drily.

“It appears, my darling, that the Framptons have accepted my request for a business deal. If all goes as planned, we will be even richer by the end of the year. We only have one challenge. The Countess.”

“How so?”

“She has been known to be the actual brain behind the business. She might appear mild-tempered, but that one is a very shrewd woman and quite picky sometimes. I just hope that our outing with them goes well because any mistake might jeopardize this deal. The woman’s word is law when it comes to the Framptons’ business, and while it is good to impress the Earl, it is she who holds the purse strings. I trust that you will be on your best behavior during this outing, won’t you?”

There was a deafening silence that caused Alexander to turn and look at his wife…reallylook at her. She was absolutely radiant, and he lost his line of thought looking at her. Her hair had been brushed to a shine and cascaded down her shoulder, caressing her skin. Her night rail, if one could even call it that, was a dark blue color that enhanced the rich hue of her skin.

The garment wreaked havoc on his mind because it barely concealed anything. Even with the semidarkness, he could make out all the contours of her body, and he swore he could see the peak of one of her perfect breasts. Sitting there with her hands primly placed on her hips, she looked the perfect siren sent to unleash all his dark desires.

ChapterNine

“Is this all we are to discuss tonight?” Helen asked, despite herself.

She had watched him talk about his business dealings, wondering if he had somehow forgotten it was their wedding night.

“What else shall we discuss?”

---